From Sophy Roberts to Bettina Anton: new books reviewed in short

The cult of the painter-designer Eric Ravilious is not of long standing.

This new volume is a compendium of observations by critics, commentators and friends who judged his work.

Humans: A Monstrous History aims to tell the history of humanity through the way it has defined itself: against what it is not, against monsters.

She traces Mengele ’s path from aspiring scientist in 1930s Germany to fugitive among the German -speaking communities of South America , eluding the clutches of the Israeli secret service and freelance Nazi hunters alike. It is a non-fiction thriller that chases one of the most fascinating but morally outrageous threads of the 20th century . By Nicholas Harris Diversion Books , 383pp , 16.99 . Buy the book.